21. Nate

"Get ready," I announced in a booming, dramatic voice as I lugged two armfuls of baking supplies into Carly's kitchen, "for the Great Sanders-Young bake-off!"

Carly appeared from the living room, a bright smile lighting up her face as she saw me. "Oh, good. You're right on time." She crossed the room to greet me with a hug. Her warmth seeped into me, cozy and right.

Setting down the bags on the kitchen counter, I surveyed the array of ingredients I had brought. "I come bearing gifts," I reiterated, gesturing grandly to the assortment of flour, sugar, cocoa powder, and a few other secret ingredients I'd only whip out for my two favorite girls. "Not that it's a competition, but we're gonna show these other soccer moms who's boss. They'll be talking about Ella's bake sale contributions for years. Decades, maybe."

Carly laughed, her laughter like music to my ears. God, how I loved the way she laughed. It was infectious, lighting up the room and filling me with a sense of joy I hadn"t known before. I couldn"t help but smile back at her, my heart swelling with affection. I loved everything about it. Everything about her.

Oh, fuck. What a moment for me to have that realization. I was completely, stupidly in love with Carly Sanders, and we'd only slept together once. God, how I loved this powerhouse of a woman. I had harbored feelings for her for so long, and hell, maybe I'd loved her all this time. Nothing had really changed between us, not for me, even after I'd gotten to experience the otherworldly perfection of making her come. The only difference, really, was that now, I couldn"t imagine my life without her in it, by my side, in my bed. I couldn"t let her go. Ever.

"So, what"s on the menu today, Chef Nate?" Carly asked, her eyes sparkling with curiosity as she peered into the bags. I cleared my throat to clear away the heaviness of my internal musings. I had baking to do.

I grinned, feeling a surge of excitement at the prospect of sharing my passion with Carly. "We"re going to blow everyone's mind with some insect-themed treats," I declared, pulling out bags of chocolate chips and sprinkles shaped like ladybugs and butterflies.

Carly"s brow quirked up. "You're going all in on the bug desserts, huh? Sounds… interesting," she remarked, a hint of skepticism in her voice.

I chuckled, rolling up my sleeves in preparation for the baking extravaganza. "Trust me, Carly, they"re going to be a hit," I assured her, already envisioning the delicious treats taking shape in my mind.

As we got to work, Carly informed me that Bennett was in the other room, busy with a virtual job interview. That was damn good to hear. My little bro wasn't right without a vocation, some kind of project to keep him busy. I knew, even though we hadn't spent a lot of time together since he'd come home, that he was going a little insane.

Carly was curious about everything, and it was a side to her I hadn't seen much before. I guided her through the process, explaining each step of the recipes as we went along. I showed her how to measure out the ingredients, how to cream the butter and sugar until it became sufficiently light and fluffy, and how to fold in the dry ingredients gently to ensure a tender crumb.

Carly proved to be a quick study, her fingers deftly following my instructions as we worked side by side. Her enthusiasm was infectious, her laughter filling the kitchen as we shared stories and jokes about Ella while we baked.

As the first batch of cookies emerged from the oven, golden brown and fragrant, Carly"s eyes widened in amazement. "Nate, these look incredible."

"Did you expect anything different? I'm a goddamn professional."

"Of course, I'm sorry." She laughed, rolling her eyes at me. "Ugh, I wish they weren't so hot. I'm dying to try one."

"We'll make something with batter you can try, next," I reassured her. "Maybe I should"ve started with the cupcakes. Probably. Fuck it. I'm not amazing at the planning part."

"Who cares?" Carly said, watching as I started to clear some space for our next baking escapade. "I'm having fun just watching you. Learning from you. You're really, really good at this."

A surge of pride swelled within me at her praise, my chest swelling with a sense of accomplishment. "Thanks, Carly," I said, unable to hide the grin from my face. "I take my baking very seriously."

"A man of many talents," she joked with a flirtatious air, and that was all it took to send my mind down a decidedly less wholesome road.

"Speaking of my talents," I said, my voice coming from low in my throat. I prowled closer to Carly until I could cage her against the kitchen counter, my arms on either side of her hips, my hands gripping the countertop. I could practically sense how quickly she melted, her responsive body softening in preparation for me. Her cheeks were pink. Christ, she was adorable.

"I thought we were baking," she breathed, a weak protest that I didn't buy. I smirked.

"Another of my many talents is multitasking," I said, bouncing my eyebrows. She started to laugh, and I swallowed the sound as I kissed her, unable to resist. It was long and sensual, her sweet mouth melding perfectly with mine, and her arms slunk up around my neck, brushing against the fuzzy buzzed bits of hair at the nape of my neck.

I couldn't let it go on too long, though. No matter how badly I wanted to just make out with Carly until we both became too turned on to keep our hands off each other—and then I wanted to fuck her, and then I wanted to keep fucking her until we were both exhausted and sweaty—we had things to do. So, two birds, one stone. I broke our kiss and unwound Carly's arms from my neck, ignoring her attempt at protests as I guided her hips to turn around. I pressed her back to my front, that luscious ass pressing into me like the ultimate temptation, and I slipped my arms around her, reaching for the mixing bowl.

"We've got batter to make," I said in her ear, sultry and soft. "And then, when the cupcakes are in the oven and we've got some left in the bowl, I want to lick it off you. Sound good?"

"Oh," Carly gasped as she watched my hands work. I propped my chin on her shoulder, snuggling against her as I started to mix ingredients together. She let her arms come up to cover mine, her hands sliding onto my own, following my movements. It was intimate, sexy, and as sweet as the chocolate mixture we created. After we got the cupcakes in the oven, Carly looked at me expectantly. I jumped into action, taking her mouth in another heated kiss.

This time, there was nothing keeping me from the urge to tear off her clothes. Ella was at school, Bennett was in the other room with the door closed, and I didn't give a shit about any repercussions as long as I got to fuck this woman senseless again. Since Carly was just at home, working on this errand for her daughter with me, she hadn't bothered to wear a bra, which I discovered when I started to grope at her chest. Under the T-shirt that covered her, she was bare, and that soft yet firm flesh was ripe for the tasting. I jerked the shirt up and over her head faster than either of us must have thought possible, and when her creamy skin and rosy nipples were bare to me, I could see the dusting of warm freckles that covered her chest and shoulders.

"Have you always had freckles?" I asked Carly, who blinked in a lustful daze.

"Yeah, I–I think."

I dipped my head forward to trail a line of wet kisses over said freckles, and Carly sighed. That sigh transformed to a gasp when I reached her succulent tits and scooped a hard nipple into my mouth with my tongue.

"Mmm," I hummed around her, half from involuntary pleasure of my own and half because I knew she was so sensitive here. She sighed, her head falling back to expose her throat, which was practically an invitation for me to bring a hand up to it. Carly moaned, enjoying that development, so I applied the lightest pressure, not enough to restrict her airflow at all. She was leaning back against the counter, and even while I sucked her and tasted her warm skin, I had the foresight to grab the mixing bowl we'd just used and scoot it out of the way of her hair. Then I dipped my fingers into the chocolatey goo and smeared it onto one of her nipples.

Carly looked down at me, noticing the strange sensation. Her eyes flamed with lust at the sight, and I knew she was a goner when I grinned wickedly and stuck out my tongue to lap up the mess I'd made.

"So sweet," I murmured as I licked up the cake batter, holding her large breast in my hand and using it to tilt it around so I could get every drop off her skin. Carly whimpered when I swirled my tongue in a sensuous circle and then sucked her hard.

"Fuck, Nate," she gasped. I wanted to find a way to play that sound in my ears on a permanent loop. While I waited for science to catch up, though, I was happy to keep sucking, kissing, and fucking this woman as much as she'd let me.

"I thought you two were supposed to be baking." A familiar voice broke through the haze of lust, and I glanced up to see Bennett standing in the doorway, his interview finished at last.

I released Carly's nipple from my lips with a shameless smack, the suction breaking. Carly yelped, and though I could tell she sort of wanted to cover herself, she realized it wasn't necessary with Bennett. I'd known it was only a matter of time before the two of them fucked, and clearly, it had happened already, because Bennett was eyeing her bare breasts like he'd been given express written permission to do so.

On a hunch, I said to Ben, "We were, but we got a little distracted. Can you blame me?"

"No," he answered automatically, still watching Carly, who was caught in a lustful loop, looking back and forth between the two of us like we were two dishes at a buffet and she knew she didn't have to choose. "Anyone would with Carly around, looking like that."

"She's fucking gorgeous," I agreed, and I loved how I could see her blush go all the way down to her freckled collarbones. I snuck a kiss on those freckles, surprising Carly. I surprised all three of us a little when I looked back to Ben and said, "Hope your interview went well, man. Now, how about you come help me make Carly come?"

His eyes darkened as he took in her reaction, her lips parted in shock, her pupils blown with lust. I knew he'd accept even before he said, "Gladly."